1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of telecommunications equipment and, more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for restricting dialing authorization in communications terminal equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
In telecommunications systems, an Applications Connectivity Link, ACL interface, is provided for controlling performance features in communications networks such as, for example, private communications networks, the coupling of communications systems and in particular, private branch exchanges having data processing apparatus. In a use of such an application interface, ACL, a private communication system, such as, for example, the HICOM 300 manufactured by Siemens Corporation is connected with a data processing apparatus via a V.24 interface, or alternatively via an ISDN base interface (SO). The application interface ACL is preferably realized in an operations and maintenance unit of a communication system. In the HICOM 300 system, it is an integrated operations and maintenance server which controls the communications exchange according to a defined protocol with defined messages. This may be for example, the MSV1. The information embedded in messages corresponds to the switch-oriented instructions and event messages of the communication system. As a connecting element between the data processing installation and the communication system, a program structure is provided in this system that is suited for the execution of switching-oriented instructions and for generating switching-oriented event messages. For example, this is a program structure that is controlled by a data processing installation and supports connection setups. Connection control is influenced by the switching-oriented instructions and the current switching-oriented state of connections is indicated by switching-oriented event messages.
In private communication networks, for certain communication terminal devices connected to the communications system, such as, for example, conference rooms, no fixed allocation to subscribers or persons is provided. Communication terminal devices of this type should be able to be used by the widest variety of persons with varying individual dialing authorizations. Restricted dialing authorizations may also be used. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following summary and detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the claimed invention. One object of the present invention is the construction of a communication system with flexible person-specific dialing authorizations for connected communication terminal devices.